Buncrana food waste initiative well-received in first two months

A Buncrana initiative aimed at reducing food waste has been enthusiastically received in its first two months.

Buncrana food bank changed to a community pantry in August 2024. The pantry is run in partnership with the Clonmany Community Pantry which was the first community pantry in Inishowen.

The aim of the Buncrana food pantry is to help reduce food waste, which is a problem worldwide.

Ruth Garvey Williams, a member of The Exchange team, said there has been an increase in membership since the pantry opened its doors in August.

“I think people are very excited to be able to do something about food waste, which is a real problem in this country, supermarkets are throwing out tonnes of food, so we are actually doing something that is good for the environment, which is much more healthy rather than seeing it go into a landfill,” commented Ruth Garvey Williams a member of The Exchange team.

In the community pantry, the team would receive two or three pallets of food weekly which they help to distribute. The food is supplied by Food Cloud which connects the food pantry to local shops to help distribute surplus food. People never know what they’re going to get from one week to the next.

Changing from a food bank to a community pantry meant users had to change their mindsets. The difference between a food bank and a food pantry is that it enables them to tackle the problem of food waste while making high-quality, brand-named products available to the whole community at a low cost. 

“This isn’t about handouts.It’s actually about all of us together doing something for the environment. In the process we all benefit, anybody, it doesn't have to be poor people, everybody can benefit from it and help reduce waste which is a problem.”

The scheme is still open to new members, with registration at The Exchange in Buncrana on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays between 11am and 1pm. Annual membership costs €20 with a charge of €5 for each visit. Those who sign up in Buncrana can also use the community pantry in Clonmany.